Ogle County, Illinois
Ogle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 51,032. Its county seat is Oregon , and its largest city is Rochelle. The whole of Ogle County lies within the Rochelle Micropolitan Statistical Area. History & Politics Ogle County was formed in 1836 out of Jo Daviess and LaSalle Counties, and named in honor of Captain Joseph Ogle, a veteran of the Revolutionary War who came to Illinois in 1785. Ogle did not have an organized government until 1837, so for a year it remained attached to Jo Daviess County. The county was divided three years later in 1839, when Lee County was formed. File:Ogle County Illinois 1836.png|Ogle County between 1836 and 1839 File:Ogle County Illinois 1839.png|Ogle County in 1839, reduced to its present borders by the creation of Lee County Ogle County is one of the most consistently Republican counties in the nation when it comes to Presidential elections. In the last 150 years Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 run as a Progressive was the only time a non-Republican carried the county. No Democratic candidate has ever won the county, which favored the Whig Party before the Republican Party was formed.Geographie Electorale It is also represented by Republican Donald A. Manzullo as a county in Illinois's 16th congressional district. in Oregon, Illinois.]] Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.42%) is land and (or 0.58%) is water. Ogle County is bordered, on all sides, by other Illinois counties. To the north is Winnebago County, to the northeast Boone, and to the northwest Stephenson. DeKalb County lies east of Ogle County, and Carroll to the west. South of Ogle County is Lee, and Whiteside County, which is to the southwest. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 51,032 people, 19,278 households, and 14,169 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile (26/km²). There were 20,420 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.35% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 6.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.1% were of German, 10.3% Irish, 9.7% American, 7.9% English and 5.1% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 19,278 households out of which 35.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.30% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county the population was spread out with 27.50% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $45,448, and the median income for a family was $53,028. Males had a median income of $39,862 versus $23,854 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,515. About 5.30% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.40% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over. Climate }} In recent years, average temperatures in Oregon have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June. Economy Job base By 2000, 65% of the county labor force was employed as white-collar workers with an increase of 20 points in comparison with 1990 statistics. Manufacturing remains the leading employment sector absorbing more than 21.7% of the labor force though there was a decrease from 30,4% in 1995. However it is expected that services would replace manufacturing starting 2015 as the leading activity. Agriculture remains an important sector of the county. The main products are corn and soybeans. In 2003, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Ogle County was ranked 17th in the State for crop cash receipts, and 14th in the state for livestock cash receipts. As for livestock production, hogs and pigs are still leading even though productions decreased from 57,000 units in 1998 to 48,900 in 2002. The county also got some investment packages such as the building a $180 million truck-to-train cargo hub. In August 2006, it was announced that a new ethanol production facility would receive a package of $5.5 million Opportunity Returns grant from the State. Transportation Major highways Airports The following public-use airports are located in the county:Public and Private Airports, Ogle County, Illinois * Ogle County Airport (C55) - Mount Morris, Illinois * Rochelle Municipal Airport (RPJ) - Rochelle, Illinois Recreation Parks *Castle Rock State Park *Lowden State Park *Lowden-Miller State Forest *Sinnissippi Farms *Weld Park *White Pines State Park Nature Preserves *Beach Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve *Douglas E. Wade Prairie Nature Preserve *Jarrett Prairie Nature Preserve See also * List of settlements in Ogle County, Illinois * List of townships in Ogle County, Illinois * List of cemeteries in Ogle County, Illinois *National Register of Historic Places listings in Ogle County, Illinois Bibliography * * References and notes External links *Ogle County official website *DAR Capt. Joseph Ogle *Ogle County History Category:Counties of Illinois Category:Established in 1836 Category:Ogle County, Illinois